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Working w/ AE + FCP using Alpha Channels
Hey guys,
Im editing a music video that requires a lot of keying and effects work in After Effects, I would like to do all my keying in AE but edit it all together in FCP. The problem is that i need to export Alpha channels with my video files from After Effects. In doing some research, I read that the only codec that exports alpha channels is the Animation codec, but using this codec in FCP is a nightmare (at least on my system) and it requires rendering every time i make any adjustment.
Anybody have any insight or tips on working with alpha channels in FCP coming from After Effects?
Any help is GREATLY appreciated – Thank you guys!
CB
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3 Replies
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ProRes 4444
Richard M. Harrington, PMP
Author: From Still to Motion, Video Made on a Mac, Photoshop for Video, Understanding Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Studio On the Spot and Motion Graphics with Adobe Creative Suite 5 Studio Techniques
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Thank you for taking the time to respond guys.
@Dave – Your workflow sounds like a good plan for my situation, the only problem is that im compositing a lot of different footage together to create one shot – and some of the shots I have planned out require that I key at least one of the layers so I can create the shot. I have a shot with a dancer (full body framing) which i plan to duplicate over and over (checker board style) to create a background – on top of that shot i will use a close up shot of the dancer – so just to create that shot would require me to key the close up shot so that you can see the checkerboard background composed of her full body shot. So, this shot alone (if i were using your workflow) would require me to key the close up shot in FCP. I CANNOT create that shot without keying. Even if im creating the main background and graphics in AE (which is the plan) i still need the luxury of being able to key and cut the original greenscreen footage in FCP without having to render after every change.
Just to further illustrate what im trying to do – here is a clip of Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” music video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e82VE8UtW8A
a shot like the one that occurs at 1:02 would require keying in FCP so u can properly position the images and it would require real time play back so u can slip the shot into the proper timing of the music
Thank you guys again for all of your insight – i look forward to your response
CB
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I’m with Dave. Do all of your keying and compositing in AE. You’ll get much better results.
AE isn’t just a motion graphics app, it’s a top notch compositor.
And if you think you’ll get real-time playback of keyed, composited clips in FCP without rendering, you’ve got another think coming;)Joey Foreman
Editor/Compositor/VFX Artist
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